Radiant energy – Invisible radiant energy responsive electric signalling – Semiconductor system
Patent
1995-04-21
1996-06-18
Fields, Carolyn E.
Radiant energy
Invisible radiant energy responsive electric signalling
Semiconductor system
250580, 2502081, G01T 124, H01L 2714
Patent
active
055280439
ABSTRACT:
This invention provides an imaging system for producing images from electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays. The system includes a detector comprised of a radiation-absorbing layer sandwiched between an array of CMOS integrated circuits (which we call pixel circuits) and a surface electrode layer transparent to the radiation. Each of the pixel circuits in the array has a charge collecting electrode. An external voltage applied between the surface electrode layer and the charge collecting electrodes produces an electric field across the thickness of the absorbing layer. Radiation passing through the transparent surface electrode layer is absorbed in the absorbing layer creating electron/hole pairs in the absorbing layer. A portion of the liberated holes (or electrons) migrates under the influence of the electric field toward the charge collecting electrodes, which collect the holes and store them as charges on small capacitors located within each circuit. This process results in a discrete distribution of stored voltages across the array proportional to the distribution of radiation photons incident on the absorbing layer. Circuitry in each pixel provides for the voltage on each pixel capacitor to be recorded via readout circuitry and permits the resetting of the pixel capacitors. Preferred embodiments provide fine resolution with a large number of pixels with dimensions about the size of the thickness of human hair.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4841348 (1989-06-01), Shizukuishi et al.
patent: 5235195 (1993-08-01), Tran et al.
patent: 5319206 (1994-06-01), Lee et al.
Atlas Eugene
Martin Peter
Morsell Lee
Pellegrino Anthony
Spivey Brett
Fields Carolyn E.
Glick Edward J.
Ross John R.
Thermotrex Corporation
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